


Just Chess

by Zorthain



Series: Single Pringles [10]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Big Old Golden Retrievers, Dogs, Erwin Being A Doofus, Humor, Lost Pets, M/M, annoyed Levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 17:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3537890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorthain/pseuds/Zorthain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin finds a lost dog, and searches for the owner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Chess

**Author's Note:**

> Based on something I inspired myself with actually, from the last Pringle I made.

It had been four weeks since she'd disappeared, or really, not disappeared, but run away. Levi was still putting up fliers all over. He hadn't been hopeful since the beginning, but now the chances of finding his stupid dog were at an all time low, what with it being so long.

And she was stupid, no two ways around that conclusion. Levi had once put her under a blanket, and it had taken her a solid fifteen minutes to nose her way out, whimpering all the while.

Stapling the last corner in place, he moved away from the post. The page was written entirely in bold red ink, and had a picture of a large golden retriever at the bottom. It read;

_LOST DOG. SIX YEARS. RESPONDS TO THE NAME OF CHESS. **NOT CHESTNUT** , JUST CHESS. **REWARD.**  _

* * *

Erwin didn't want a dog, but now he had one. The excited bundle of nerves ran up and down the hallway of his apartment, knocking into anything and everything it physically could. He assumed it was still a puppy, maximum a year old from all the energy it had.

"Hey, could you not wreck my home?" he asked, practically tearing his hair out in frustration. The puppy just looked at him, cocking her head to the side and panting slightly. Something around her neck caught the light, and he leaned over to inspect it.

 _Chess; belongs to Levi Ackerman. If found, call 597-0207._ The area code wasn't specified, but it was safe to say they'd still be living in the same city. Erwin picked up the phone, and dialled carefully, listening to the phone ring. He counted nine times before a sleazy, tired voice picked up.

"..'yello?"

 _Talk about first impressions,_ he thought. "Hi, are you Levi Ackerman? My name is Erwin Smith."

"It's pronounced Lee-vhi, not Lev-ee, but yes. Why?" The voice sounded irritated, as though someone had just shat in his favourite flower patch.

"I seem to have your dog."

"What?" Suddenly, every single hint of irritation dropped out of his voice, replaced by awe. "Where? Chess?"

"Yeah, that seems to be her name. How old is she by the way? She's been running in circles and breaking literally just about everything." Erwin said, wincing at the crash as if it was on cue.

"Six. Please, please, please, can you just bring her over? I've been looking for her for almost a month. The Sherman apartment complex on Kensington Street, address is 3000-something, but you can see it a mile away. Apartment 308." He sounded desperate to see his dog again. It was a little weird, but Erwin went with it. 

"Alright," he said, not questioning anything. He seemed far too eager to be pulling any kind of trick either way, and anyways, why would he? "I'll be there in maybe half an hour."

"Thank you so much again," the stranger breathed through the mouthpiece before the line clicked dead.

* * *

 

Levi paced in circles. He was nervous, he knew he'd advertised a reward, but right now, he could barely make rent. The tea on the table steamed lightly as he racked his brain trying to find a solution. He just hoped this Erwin guy was one of those Good Samaritans who would turn down the reward. If not, well, he'd be skipping meals the next few days.

Just as he turned around, the doorbell rang, and he raced over to pick up the transmitter. "Hello?"

"Hey," he heard between barking.  _Chess._ "Can you buzz me in please?"

"Sure," Levi said, hitting the button. He tried hard to bury the excitement in his voice as he spoke, but even he knew he failed. 

He paced even more, dangling between uncertain and fearful and ecstatic all at once. Finally, after what seemed like forever, there was a knock at the door. 

He opened the door, and Chess came bounding through, knocking him to the floor laughing. "Chess! I'm so happy to see you!" He sat on the floor, petting her between licks.

"Aren't you even going to say thank you?" the man asked, amused. Levi tried to ignore him, but whe he caught sight of his chest however, he felt his eyes become dragged slowly upwards.

"Thank you," he said emotionlessly. "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been able to find her." He was good-looking and all, but that wouldn't help if he asked about the reward part.

"It's the least I could do," he smiled, offering him a hand up. "My name is Erwin Smith."

"A pleasure," Levi said, half shaking it, half pulling himself off the floor. "I'm assuming you want the reward now, since you probably saw the fliers-"

"Reward?" Erwin asked, confused.

 _Shit_. He hadn't known.

"Yeah, I was thinking-"

"Don't bother," he said. "Seeing you happy is the reward I really wanted."

"That's some cheesy shit right there." Levi looked him up and down. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"At least let me get you something to drink or eat." He insisted through habit, not personal kindness, and was kicking himself for it as he spoke. "I mean, if you don't want, feel free to go, but-"

"I wouldn't mind some coffee," Erwin grinned. "I'll consider some time with a handsome stranger reward enough."

And that was when Levi knew, groaning into his hands, that unfortunately for him, this would be far from the last the he heard of Erwin Smith.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You already know tomorrow's prompt if you read Amnesia, or there's like a 90% chance you do at least. It's coming. Slowly. With its walker and everything, but it's coming.
> 
> You have been warned. (Sorry for the short fic, been busy, but tomorrow will be more interesting.)
> 
> ~Zor


End file.
